


Midnight Games

by 55sunsets



Category: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 06:31:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4009474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/55sunsets/pseuds/55sunsets
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While travelling alone, the Raven King encounters a strange man who wants something from him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Midnight Games

**Author's Note:**

> I finished the book last week and have been utterly unable to think or talk about anything since, so I had to write fic. I owe lots of thanks to my beta, [Timecake](http://archiveofourown.org/users/timecake), who is the unfortunate soul who has had to listen to me going on endlessly about a book she hasn't read yet. Thank you for putting up with me (and _read the damn book_ )!
> 
> This fic contains **major spoilers** for the end of _Merlin_ season 5, but only very mild ones for _JS &MN_.

Thirteen days into John Uskglass’s wanderings [1], he came across a man at a crossroads in the dead of night. He was sitting with his back to the signpost, facing down the path the Raven King had himself just travelled. He looked for all the world as if he were simply waiting for the King to arrive - but of course, thought Uskglass - that was impossible. His whims were his own and only he knew where he was and where he would be. Still, he slowed his horse. His curiosity had been aroused. The man would not be able to see him, for Uskglass had made sure he was invisible to both man and Fae. 

The man appeared to be sleeping. His face was hidden in shadow, so Uskglass moved the moonlight. In the pale beams, he did not appear so different from the Raven King himself in features or stature. They were both pale with black hair - Uskglass’ longer - and thin as birch trees. He was about to move on from the man, who was clearly nothing but a tramp or beggar wandering the moors, when a voice rang out.

“John Uskglass,” said the man. Uskglass pulled the reins of his horse back in surprise. The man opened his eyes and Uskglass saw that they were a glittering blue in the moonlight. “I have been waiting for you.”

With naught but a thought from Uskglass, a thick dark wall of hedges rose up around them. He should not have been able to sense his presence, never mind fix his gaze upon him, but the impossibility of what he was doing did not seem to be bothering him. The man did not so much as blink at the sudden appearance of the black hedges. Uskglass dismounted and with a pat sent his horse back to Faerie. The man stood up slowly, stretching as if he had been lying there for quite some time. He looked Uskglass in the eye, head held high. The man was taller, but only just. 

“It is customary,” said Uskglass, after a pause, “to bow before a King.”

A small smile danced around the edges of the man’s mouth. “I apologise, Mr. Uskglass, but I only acknowledge one King, and that is not you.” 

Uskglass observed him. “You are not a human man,” he said, “but neither are you Fae. Who are you?”

“My name is Emrys.”

“Why have you been waiting for me?”

“I wish to challenge you.”

Uskglass burst out laughing. It was a strange, low sound, not unlike many ravens cawing all at once. He was not sure what he had expected, but it was not that. “You wish to challenge the Raven King?”

Emrys inclined his head but did not otherwise acknowledge the King’s amusement. “I do.” His sobriety of tone and demeanour quickly faded Uskglass’ humour. He observed his challenger anew. He still did not look threatening, but his quiet confidence was unnerving. 

“Fine. What sort of challenge?”

“A game of magic, of course.”

“And the stakes?”

“If I win, I get your crown and lands.”

“And when you lose?” The possibility of Emrys winning did not even occur to Uskglass. He was the Raven King, and his powers were unmatched. 

Emrys spread his arms. “Then you get me and all I own, to do with as you desire.”

This did not seem quite an even deal to Uskglass, but as Emrys appeared to own nothing but the clothes he was wearing he acquiesced. 

“And do you have a particular challenge in mind?”

“We set each other magic tasks and take turns until one of us fails in what the other has asked.”

This was not quite the sort of magical challenge or duel that Uskglass was used to, but it did not shake his confidence. “I agree to your terms.”

“I am much obliged to you. As a token of my gratitude, you may set the first task.”

Uskglass nodded in acknowledgement before glancing around. His hedges caught his eye. He had raised them to prevent the escape of the man once he had revealed himself to be more than he appeared. They were no ordinary trees, but wide and thorny and impenetrable, and magic curled around the branches, as thick as the layers and layers of leaves. They would be a good test of Emrys’ abilities. “Make my hedges disappear.” 

Emrys huffed a laugh, as if he had been expecting something much more difficult than that to do. His eyes glowed golden for an instant, and Uskglass’ hedges began to melt away as if they were ice under a midsummer sun. In moments they were no more. The ease with which he had vanished them alarmed Uskglass, but he took care not to show it. 

Emrys had not even blinked at the task. “My turn. But first, a question, if I may. The jewels in your crown, what are they?”

Uskglass knew his crown as well as he knew the Faerie lands [2] and he had received many compliments on the beautiful silverwork and the jewels. 

“They are made from starlight.”

“I suspected as much. Make me one, if you please.”

“As you wish.” It was a mildly difficult form of magic, but not exceptionally complicated. The fact that Emrys wished for a stone and had not made it himself reassured Uskglass. “Any star in particular?”

“The North Star, if it’s no trouble.”

Uskglass stretched his arm out, palm facing towards the North Star. He closed his eyes and concentrated. A speck of light appeared in his palm which grew slowly bigger and bigger. Eventually the jewel was three inches high and two wide, and he presented it to Emrys. “Is this satisfactory?”

Emrys took it and examined it. It glittered in his hand. “Exceptionally so.” He carefully tucked it away in a pocket. “Your turn again.”

By this time, Uskglass had thought of something much more difficult than dissolving hedges. He was tiring of the game already, and he was not sure if he could even complete this task himself. “Make the sun rise.”

Emrys raised an eyebrow at him. “If you’re willing to wait a few hours, I would not have to perform magic at all.”

Uskglass smirked at him. “I’m afraid I have other engagements, and I really cannot afford to wait.”

Emrys laughed. “My apologies. I had forgotten Kings were such busy men.” He raised a hand towards the eastern horizon and faint dawn light appeared there. He slowly raised his hand and the sun followed it, until his arm was pointed straight upwards and the sun was located where it would be at noon. Then Emrys lowered his arm back towards the eastern horizon once more, and the sun slowly disappeared once again [3]. He was panting as though the magic had tired him. For the first time, a small bolt of fear struck the King in the heart. He calmed himself quickly. Of course he could do the same if he tried - he had just never attempted it. After all, it would cause no end of chaos. 

“My turn again,” said Emrys, but this time he looked wistful as well as tired. “I wish you to bring me my heart’s desire.”

“And that is?”

Emrys only smiled. Uskglass sighed, and reached into Emrys’ mind. He immediately came across the impression of another man, broad of shoulder, with a head of golden blond hair, and dressed in fine armour. He saw the man pierced through with a sword, the man in Emrys arms - he watched as the man died. He saw the pain on Emrys’ face, felt his heart break from the inside. He understood for the first time what Emrys wanted from this game of his - he wanted this man brought back to life. Bringing the dead back was an old fairy trick - but then why hadn’t he just summoned a fairy? But they would want something, of course. They would want a handsel from the blond man, and Emrys was apparently not willing to risk him, but he was willing to bargain himself. There were ghosts and imprints of the man’s soul wrapped tightly around Emrys’ own. Uskglass gathered those impressions up and cast out all his senses, searching through Heaven and Hell and everywhere else for someone who matched them.

After several minutes, he found him. He smiled with satisfaction, and wrapped magic around the man. _Arthur_ , that was his name. _Arthur_. The name passed from Emrys’ head and echoed around his own. He made sure his strands of magic were tight, and began to pull. There was movement at first, and Uskglass felt a thrill of triumph- but then his magic hit a barrier and Arthur could pass no further. He frowned, and pulled harder, but nothing changed. He raised his arms, casting out more magic to Arthur, wherever he may be. He pulled and pulled with all of his strength, but Arthur remained stuck. 

Finally, Uskglass let his hands drop down. His breaths were coming hard and fast. He had not had to work so hard with magic since he had been a child, tutored by the Fae.

“Arthur is located in Avalon, not in one of the kingdoms you rule or know. He is neither dead nor alive.”

Uskglass’ hands clenched into fists. The man was located in a place he could never have gotten to; in a place he had never heard about. He had lost his crown and his kingdoms and lands, and because Emrys had intentionally set him an impossible task. He felt the sudden desire to crush England into tiny pieces, Emrys included, but he had given his word.

“You have beaten me.” He slipped his crown off his head and held it out to him. “This is yours now.”

Emrys smiled an inscrutable half-smile again, and he took the crown in his hands. Uskglass felt a pain in his heart at the sight of the man’s fingers touching the silver leaves, stroking the jewels of captured starlight. Then Emrys took a quick step forward and placed the crown gently back around Uskglass’ temples. 

“This is rightfully yours,” he said. “I needed to make sure that you were a suitable king.” He stepped back again. 

“You said I was not your King.”

“And you are not my King. You are not the Once and Future. But that does not mean that you are no King at all.” He turned to leave, but Uskglass reached out and grasped him by the wrist.

“Wait.”

Emrys half-turned back.

“Tell me what you are.”

Emrys turned fully to face him, and Uskglass saw that his smile had vanished.

“You were right to say that I am neither human nor fairy.”

“Then what are you?!” He felt his strength come back to him despite his exhaustion, like a dam of energy had opened inside of him. A dam of energy- or a dam of magic? It did not matter which, only that it was there. 

“You could never win against me because your powers are not your own. You draw your magic from the earth, from the trees and hills and stones and valleys. They give it to you, to men and to Fae, willingly, but it is still not yours. I am made of magic, Uskglass. It is every part of me. It beats in my chest alongside my heart and flows under my skin with my blood. One who borrows magic, as powerful as they can be, will always be a creature about magic. I am a creature of magic itself.”

Uskglass’ eyes widened. “You are Merlin.”

A shadow of the smile came back to his face. “All of your names you have chosen yourself. All of mine were given to me, and that is one of them.” He looked suddenly past Uskglass’ shoulder, as if something had appeared to him suddenly. Uskglass whirled around, but there was nothing there. When he turned back, Emrys had vanished and he was alone at the crossroads.

* * *

[1] This was, of course, during his year-and-a-day absence from his court.

[2] That is to say, very well indeed.

[3] Of course, Emrys did not actually move the sun. Instead, he moved the position of England in relation to the sun to make it rise. Such a possibility had not occurred to the Raven King as neither the English nor the Fae had yet discovered that the world was round. The people of England, while initially alarmed at the sun rising at midnight, were growing used to the Raven King’s antics and mostly went back to sleep.


End file.
